Book clubs, community gardening and letter writing are just some of the activities Niagara-on-the-Lake’s parks and recreation department is thinking of adding to its itinerary over the next 10 years — and it wants these activities to attract NOTLers ages eight to 80.
The town’s first-ever parks and recreation master plan is looking at how to create and build services that’ll meet the wants and needs of the town’s growing population, including activities that both young people and seniors can enjoy together.
Town staff is hosting the second round of public engagement for its master plan, with a draft version of the plan now available online for anyone to view.
The draft has updates to policies that guide the town’s parks and recreational facilities, and a plan for those parks and facilities for the next decade.
The process of creating this plan started in 2018, said parks and recreation manager Kevin Turcotte. Last July, the town held its first round of public engagement.
The current draft plan, 185 pages, covers accessibility, comfort, maintenance, equipment replacement, health and safety and implementation strategies with more than 100 recommendations, Turcotte said.
This latest plan includes specific goals for improving and maintaining the parks and recreation facilities and ideas for new programs.
Danielle Lenarcic Biss is an associate and planner from Thinc Design, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm, which led the development of the draft.
Biss said one priority in the plan is something called “intergenerational programming”: activities that bring people from different age groups together to take part in one thing.
She said this focus was shaped by NOTL’s aging demographic and projections for the town’s population change — by 2038, Niagara-on-the-Lake is expected to be home to around 25,670 people.
“This brings a lot more families,” she said. “In some cases, it’s changes and in some cases, it’s anticipating and looking ahead to what’s needed.”
The plan mentions that St. Davids and Glendale residents stressed the need for better recreational infrastructure “to keep pace with rapid population growth,” including basketball courts, soccer fields, year-round indoor space and more shade structures and larger trees outdoors.
As for the intergenerational programs, the plan mentions research that indicates young people gain more self-esteem, do better in school and gain social skills from participating in these programs, while seniors see better health and self-esteem, less social isolation and greater satisfaction with life.
Some of the potential activities in the draft include community gardening, nature walks, book clubs, trivia and Bingo events, pen pal and letter-writing programs, and more.
Biss said the plan also looks at combining parks and recreation with economic development and having more local public art.
A public meeting was held on Tuesday at the Meridian Credit Union Arena, where residents could view a physical copy of the draft.
Marah Minor, communications co-ordinator for the town, said the town’s top priority with this plan is “listening to the community to understand its needs and then making informed decisions on how to allocate resources and implement them effectively.”
The Lake Report spoke with residents near Veterans Memorial Park, which features soccer fields, a swimming pool, and the home of the NOTL Tennis Club.
Most residents shared positive feedback about the work done by the parks and recreation department.
“I think they do a good job,” said Les McFarlane.
Others offered suggestions for improvement.
“Just make it more open for people to be able to come out,” said Julie Corrick.
“Especially for elderly people because they’re not fit enough, or not in the best enough shape for people to do sports.”
Corrick also suggested extending the bus service for seniors to improve park access, including offering free transit for older residents.
Biss said community interest in outdoor amenities has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the municipalities she has worked with, she said NOTL stands out for the level of engagement.
“Town staff have been extremely engaged, residents have been so passionate,” she said. “This is a community that clearly cares deeply.”
Residents can view the draft plan online at jointheconversationnotl.org/parks-and-recreation-master-plan until Sept. 15. Feedback will be accepted through the site until that date.
A revised draft is expected to go to council this fall.
